How to apply for a “Passport by Mail”, (DS-82):

Step 1: You may apply for a “Passport by Mail”, (DS-82) if your most recent U.S. Passport was issued within the last 15 years and:

·  Is undamaged and can be submitted with your application; and

·  Was issued when you were age 16 or older; and

·  Was issued in your current name or you can legally document your name change.

Step 2: You will submit the following documents to the NOAA Travel Office (NTO) for processing:

·  Checklist

·  DS-82 completed on-line and printed on one-sided sheets of paper and must be signed
and dated. When completing the on-line application, please select passport book as the type of passport you are applying for and when asked for payment just select next and continue, you do not have to pay at this time; your line office will be billed quarterly.
NOTE: All employees must annotate “CROA” in the “Mail Passport to” section of the application. You will need to indicate your home address in the “Permanent Address” section of the application.

·  Passport Letter (print on plain paper)
Expired U.S. Passport

·  Photos (1 - 2”x2” photo with plain white background; No glasses)

·  Foreign Travel Briefing

·  *Travel Authorization

·  Emergency Justification Letter (if passport is required in less than 4 weeks lead time) *Printed on your office letterhead and signed by the approving official*

Step 3: The NTO will submit your passport package to the Department of State (DOS). It will take approximately 4-6 weeks to process an official passport. Once the passport is processed, the DOS will return the passport back to the NTO.

Step 4: The NTO will send the new official passport to you to be signed. The passport will need to be returned back to the NTO once it is signed. The NTO will proceed in obtaining all necessary visas. The official passport with necessary visas will be returned to you once all visas are obtained and we have a signed travel authorization, along with an up-to-date Defensive Travel Briefing on file. When the trip is completed, the official passport must be returned to the NTO for safekeeping unless your office has approval to retain official passports.

*If we are renewing your official passport without a real trip planned, you will submit everything outlined in Step 2 with exception of the travel authorization. Once the official passport is renewed, it is kept at the NTO until a future trip is planned.